Sticker Shock

Apart from the rising price of petrol (ok, 'gasoline'), I hadn't really made room in my mind for inflation in the US.
About four years ago on a visit to California I remember grocery shopping with a friend and being stunned to see the prices.  In my mind I always translated $ into £ so everything seemed reasonably affordable, until I saw the price of sea salt butter in San Francisco and nearly gasped. Then add sales tax!!

Granted, VAT in the UK is a whopping 20%, but since it's added into the sticker price it isn't noticed. We already knew we were getting 'royally' (!) ripped off.

Of course the cost of things has gone up in the past decade. You've all gradually adjusted and probably hardly noticed.
(I'll just be over here in the dairy aisle gasping...)